The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.
After an injury or surgery, patients often undertake active range of motion exercises during rehabilitation. These exercises often include movements such as flexion and extension of a first body part relative to a second body part. Flexion decreases the acute angle between the bones of a limb at a joint, whilst extension increases it. For example the elbow is flexed when the hand is brought closer to the shoulder.
Active range of motion exercises are performed and closely supervised by a physiotherapist or nurse initially, and may be. continued by the patient without supervision. These exercises need to be repeated in a consistent manner many times, possibly many hundreds of times, and gradually upgraded over the rehabilitation period. It is important that both patient and therapist are aware that the correct movement is being carried out in any exercise and the desired target amount of movement is or is not being achieved. Providing a clear target and feedback allows the patient to focus on developing and maintaining the required degree of correct movement. It is important that a patient is enabled to carry out many correct exercises without close supervision if the many repeats necessary for good recovery are to be undertaken. In general, therapists simply do not have the time to give every patient close supervision all day and every day of their long rehabilitation process so physiotherapists must divide their time between the individual close supervision of patients and supervising patients at various degrees of distance. Also, during the healing process, certain motion exercises may need to avoid extension or flexion of the first body part relative to the second body part beyond safe targets. Otherwise, the stress induced may re-injure the affected body part or incorrect movements may limit potential progress. Whilst the physiotherapist, or nurse can ensure that the body parts remain within safe targets during therapy, injuries can occur when unsupervised exercises are performed at home or without very close supervision in a gym.
Embodiments of the present invention provide an aid for improving the effectiveness of rehabilitation excises and for correctly performing them without close supervision.